NeverWet’s water repelling prowess is the result of the ‘contact angle’ it creates on the surface of whatever it’s applied to — the angle that the edge of a water droplet forms when in contact, in other words.

A non-stick pan, for example, has a contact angle of 95°, while a NeverWet-treated surface is around 170°.

The science may not mean much, but the videos that show NeverWet in action are very impressive — there are more at the NeverWet web site, too.

Movie

As well repelling water, oils and other liquids, a coating of NeverWet can make a surface resistant to freezing (since water can’t build up), resistant to bacteria and corrosion, and even self-cleaning.

So, NeverWet sound like just the thing to cut down on exterior van maintenance, but the bad news is that it isn’t for sale just yet. NeverWet is currently looking to licence its invention to manufacturers and products that use it aren’t expected until early next year.